1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to electrodes that are placed on the skin of a patient. More particularly, the present invention relates to the physical structure of such electrodes and the methods used to manufacture such electrodes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many types of medical equipment that gather and process electrical signals generated from within a patient's body. For instance, an electrocardiogram instrument detects electrical nerve impulses generated by the heart. Those detected impulses are then converted into a graphical representation so that the heart's nerve impulses can be viewed and analyzed by a doctor. Many other pieces of medical equipment exist that detect electrical impulses from other organs of the body, such as the brain, lungs and uterus.
In order for a piece of medical equipment to detect an electrical impulse from within the human body, some type of electrical lead must be attached between the medical equipment and the body. The electrical lead must mechanically attach to the body so that an electrical impulse generated within the body can be transmitted into the electrical lead and back to the medical equipment.
There are many types of electrical lead terminations that engage a patient's body and receive electrical impulses. Some of these prior art terminations are intrusive, in that they have an electrode lead that penetrates the skin or is introduced within an orifice of the body. However, for many types of medical testing, such as electrocardiograms, passive termination electrodes are used. A passive termination electrode is typically formed as a conductive pad. The conductive pad is glued, strapped or taped to the skin. The passive termination electrode detects electrical impulses through the skin without having to penetrate the skin. Such prior art passive termination electrodes are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,548 to Riazzi, entitled Biomedical Electrode Having A Secured One-Piece Conductive Terminal.
Passive termination electrodes that attach to the skin come in a wide assortment of sizes and configurations depending upon the intended application of the termination electrode. In many instances, the medical equipment that is connected to the termination electrodes, utilize wires with end clips. When such wires are used, the edge of the termination electrode is peeled up so that the end clip of the wire can clip onto the termination electrode. The weight of the end clip acts to peel the termination electrode away from the skin.
In many medical testing or monitoring procedures, multiple termination electrodes are attached to a patient's body. For instance, during an electrocardiogram, ten termination electrodes are commonly attached to a patient's chest and limbs. The positions of where the termination electrodes attach to the body are very specific. In order to obtain accurate data, each termination electrode must be attached to the body correctly and maintain proper contact to the skin throughout the duration of the test. However, during any test, it is unlikely that a patient will remain perfectly still. Rather, patents will move to some degree. As the patient moves, the raised edges of the termination electrodes tend to peel away from the skin. This is especially true if the termination electrode rubs against clothing or another part of the body as the patient moves.
Prior art termination electrodes are attached to the body and are then lifted along an edge to attach a wire with an end clip. During the course of testing, the raised edges of the termination electrodes tend to twist and peel away from the skin. This creates poor contact between the electrode and the skin, which leads to test failures.
A need therefore exists for an improved passive termination electrode that enables a wire with a clip termination to attach to the termination electrode without the need of partially peeling up any edge of the termination electrode. This need is met by the present invention device as it is described and claimed below.